Faith

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." -Hebrews 11:1

Recently, I have begun a new cycle aimed at preparing me for a Bulgarian cycle. It involves quite a bit of squatting, and a lot of triples in the olympic lifts. Because of this, my legs and low back are dead, and it has made my olympic lifts rather difficult. I have found that as the weeks progress, the same weight is feeling heavier and heavier with each successive day. There have been a few days were nothing would land, and I had to drop weight (and my pride) in order to finish the work requirements.

To be honest, it has made me a bit frustrated. I often find myself thinking "the harder I work, the harder this seems to get." I feel like I am doing all the right things- I am stretching and foam rolling, I am doing all the exercises to the best of my ability, I am sleeping enough, I am eating well. But for some reason, nothing seems to be clicking. It is tempting sometimes to quit. "Why put in all this time and effort to something that is not giving me a return?" What keeps me coming back day after day is faith- faith that my coach programmed this because it was supposed to be hard, and faith that if I persevere it will make me better in the end. The hope is that in undergoing this temporary trial, I will become a more refined weightlifter, and my coach will receive more glory because of his hand in my training. I must keep this end goal in mind as I train, for if I lose sight of it then I lose hope.

Too often I think we, as entitled, upper middle class Americans, feel that if we follow Christ, then everything will be good and we won't have to undergo trials. On the contrary, if we follow Christ we are promised that we will suffer. "In this life you will have trouble..." If this is all we were left with, despair would surely be soon to follow. In this we have hope though- "Take heart! I have overcome the world!" (Jesus- John 16:33)

The reality of this truth set in this morning as I received news from the man who discipled me all through college that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer yesterday. He is a man who loves the Lord more ferociously than anyone I have ever met. His desire to honor, serve, and exalt Christ is contagious, and his boldness is encouraging. He has four children, all under the age of ten. My initial thoughts upon receiving this news was "how could this happen? He is such a good man, and he and his wife love the Lord so much? How could this be a part of God's plan?"

Ironically, what brought me peace was this man's status on Facebook:

"Please pray for my precious bride who was diagnosed with breast cancer yesterday. God is always good, His plan is always perfect, and He is always worthy of praise. In the healing Name of Christ, we will rebuke fear and move on in victory no matter the outcome. Please, Holy Spirit, give us strength, wisdom, and guidance. Much love to all and thanks for your prayers- they are so desired."

What gives us strength in the midst of the storm is faith- faith that the pains of this world are temporary, faith that God's plan is for our good and His glory, faith that perseverance is sanctifying, and faith that one day Christ will make all things new again. We can take courage knowing that those who have come before us have also undergone trials. I think of the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews 11. It begins by recounting the ways that men of God remained faithful which lead them to triumph. But then in verse 35, the tone shifts.

"Others were tortured, and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith..." (Heb. 11: 35-39)

Our greatest sense of encouragement comes from the King Himself. Let us "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our Faith. For the joy set before him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him, who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Heb 12:2-3)


The hope is that as we undergo temporary trials, we become a more refined, and our King will receive more glory because of his hand in our refinement. No matter the outcome, good our bad, the call is to give Him the glory that is due to His Name. How foolish it would be for us to think that we, as finite beings, know what is best for us and that He, as creator and Lord of the Universe, does not.

Hold fast brothers, He knows. Blessings